Using a chemical that prompts bacteria to self-destruct, scientists can exterminate germs that dodge an antibiotic. The new tactic, reported November 13 in Nature, could prevent chronic or recurrent infections.

Generally, an antibiotic knocks off around 99.99 percent of bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus — as long as they’re not drug-resistant — and the body bumps off the rest. But for patients with weakened immune systems, the enduring microbes can cause persistent infections.